One part motivator, one part mentor. UI Spanish Professor Ann Abbott was all of that — and then some — to Class of 2009 alumna Kelley Francis.
"Ann Abbott was the first teacher I had at UIUC that I felt truly connected with students beyond the classroom, and pushed us to envision the impact we could have on society with our work," Francis says.
"Through Profesora Abbott, I learned of an internship program my freshman year (at the Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce), which ended up catapulting me into my career in social impact work.
"Ann inspires, questions, challenges — in the softest of ways — and motivates those around her. She asks questions; shares experience, both good and bad, lesson plans with other teachers, tips for innovating in today's technological climate; and, most of all, she cares.
"She cares about her students, her community and those of different cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds."
Francis is the Chicago-based executive director of the HITEC Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to "invest in students through scholarship, mentorship and career opportunities."
She's no stranger to campus, having returned earlier this year to deliver the keynote address at the School of Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics' convocation ceremony.
No trip back to C-U would be complete without a visit to the building where she spent countless hours as an undergrad.
"One of my favorite places back in my day — admittedly not for the architecture as it was a pretty ugly building —was called the FLB, the Foreign Languages Building. It's now the Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics Building.
"I can remember the smell, the dark wood and quite frankly my excitement as I went to every Spanish class, meetings with Professor Abbott for my thesis and meetings with my academic advisor.
"Next favorite places were Dos Reales, where I went on my first date with my now husband, followed by the Illini Inn."
